Friday, April 26, 2013

I did a fantastic run today by the Lachine Canal in Montreal. I wish I would be here this summer to experience the city. It's starting to come alive and it isn't even that warm out yet! People tell me that the city is bustling with farmer's markets, live jazz, kayaking, biking, running, and much more. The city literally comes out of hibernation for the few warm months of the year.

Here is a view of the city center.

This is the canal. In the summer, the water becomes much higher.

Here is a better view of the city.

In other news, I registered for the Cable Area Off Road Classic in the 25 mile division. I'm a little nervous, but a lot excited. I've started running more to help cross train with my road biking. I have been doing quite a few 15-20 mile days here due to commuting, which all include a lot of hills. I need to do some "just for for training" rides and when I get to Rice Lake, some mountain bike trails. Since my mountain bike is in RL, I'll rely on the massive hills Montreal has to offer to prepare me for this race.

Here is a delicious dish I recently made and ate:

In it are mushrooms, tomatoes, asparagus, red pepper, avocado, and Wal-mart brand lemon poppyseed dressing. I only sautéed the asparagus a bit and the rest of the fruits and veggies are raw. I inhaled it. I'll keep this mix in mind for light summer fare and a salad to bring to potlucks.

It is looking like winter biking is finally over. I thought it was over after Easter. We were hit with another snowstorm on Friday. Here is a picture from my practice room:

It was a lovely 50 degrees yesterday. I was able to bike without mittens. Hip-hip hooray! I'm starting to think that winter biking is safer than warm-weather biking. There were so many bikers following their own rules, tons of pedestrians walking into the bike lanes without looking, and cars were trying to just make it through the pedestrians when doing right and left turns. It is easier when everybody is underground.

These are my top three memories from biking this winter:
1. Being driven off Rue Parc in February by a car anxious to get a parking spot.
2. Tearing up my knee after crashing full-speed down a hill.

3. (Nearly) freezing my toes off.

I guess summer will be nice! Do I want to winter bike again? Well, I won't have to do it much again in Montreal unless we get an early winter next semester. I don't think I'll be biking to get the groceries in Finlayson, MN. I'll try to keep it up. It isn't much different from cross-country skiing or other winter activities. I still have to be physical in the cold, with equipment. It kept me on my toes, strengthened my core, and allowed me to get enough sunshine to keep up my vitamin D. The cold was a major challenge. It is hard to appropriately dress for exercising in general, but especially when dealing with temperatures that will freeze the skin. When it got too cold, I couldn't warm-up at all and it would hurt to breathe. I move much faster when the temperature is about freezing.

The elements took a toll on my bike. My gears are stuck on what it is on. The entire bike could use a good power wash. I had to tighten the front brake cable to make them work again.

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Justin has a job for this upcoming school year! He will be teaching in Finlayson, MN. Here is where it is on a map:

Notice how there is very little civilization? Also notice how the picture included for Finlayson is a water tower? Also notice the relationship to Rice Lake :)

From searching the internet, the most information I could get about the town is from Wikipedia. Google maps also has a great feature where I can type in "restaurants near Finlayson, MN" and it will point out all sorts of different restaurants. We will be a distance away from fast food (good) but there aren't many apartments. I called a realtor to ask if they also rent places, in which I found out that one of the realtors at that office personally rents houses. Now we know there is a place to start. I haven't heard back from this man yet, but I won't know if he will have anything available, or if he allows cats, until I speak with him.

Any advice on finding a rental in the middle of nowhere? We don't want to look into buying until we know we like that area and Justin likes the job. I'm imagining that we will find a place, but I'm nervous for if we don't. The closest biggish town with apartment buildings is Pine City, which is a half hour drive from Justin's job. That isn't ideal, but we will do it if we must! And, it won't affect me September-December.

I like school, but I am excited for having our own place and real jobs. Hopefully I can find oboe work in either Duluth, Minneapolis, or both! I hope we find a church we like. We will have to drive a bit to go to a WELS church, but I don't think that is a bad thing when we will probably be living near little civilization. Please feel free to share your new area/new marriage/new church/new home stories!

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Over Easter weekend, I went to Ruby Tuesday for the first time with Justin's family in Canfield, Ohio. I was pleased that there was an actual vegetarian option: Zucchini Cake Minis.

They were so good! I loved that these patties were freshly made, and didn't try to resemble meat. I'm not a fan of meat-imitation foods. Eck. These were delicious and served on a bun with lettuce, tomato, pickle, and mayo.

Being back in the US is fantastic. I feel a little freer. I enjoy being with family, or soon-to-be family. If only I had updated my debit card in December. Now it is ready for when I'm back in the US in May!

Here is a great pic of me and Justin on Easter Sunday:

We are getting married in less than two months! And congrats Justin on the job in Minnesota! I am now going to freak myself out about setting up a freelance career in Minnesota. This should be fun.